Lighter



QCL 11, 1932- H. J. BEEcRoFT 1,882,110

LIGHTER Filed Oct. 30, 1930 HENRY d. BEECROFT.

' HIS ATTORNEK Patented Oct. 11, 1932 PATENT OFFICE HENRY JOHN BEECROFT, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA LIGHTER.

Application led October 30, 1930. Serial No. 492,227.

My invention relates to improvements in electric lighters for cigars and the like wherein a lighting element normally cle-energized, is -mounted upon one end of a flexible conductor and actuated by the attraction of gravity to move said element linto contact with a source oit' electrical energy when the device is moved to one of several positions, whereby the lighting element may be energized and rendered ready for lighting cigars, cigarettes, and the like.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved lighter for cigars and the like.

Another object is to provide a new and improved electrical cigar lighter for table use, wherein the lighting element is normally (le-energized while the device is placed in a normal or horizontal position upon a table or similar supporting surface when not required for use, and is actuated by the attraction of gravity to move the element into contact with a source of electrical energy, when the position of the device is altered, whereby said element may be energized and rendered ready for lighting purposes.

A further object of the present device is to provide a new and improved lighter which may be rendered ready for use by the simple expedient of changing the position of the device.

A further object is to provide a self-contained electrical cigar lighter which shall be compact, convenient and economical in construction and operation, and which may be placed upon a table or similar supporting surface without danger of accidentally igniting adjacent articles.

I accomplish these and other objects by means of the preferred form of the device disclosed in the drawing forming a part of the present application wherein like characters of reference are used to designate similar parts throughout the specification and drawing, and in which- Fig. 1 is a. broken plan view of my improved li ghter, the element being in a neutral or cle-energized position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 in the direction indicated;

Fig. 3 is a iront elevation `of the device, with the cover removed, showing the same in one lighting position; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed view of the means for permitting and preventing contact with one of the terminals.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 is used to designate a box or housing having a Central partition 2 dividing said housing into upper and lower compartments 3 and 4 respectively.

Within the upper compartment 3 I have provided a pair of terminals 6 each slotted vertically from their upper endsV as at 7. Within one of the slots 7 I have mounted a lieXible conductor 8 extending toward the opposite terminal and having mounted upon its free end and adjacent said other terminal, a suitable lighting element 9 of the type generally used for electrical lighters. A contact 11 is mounted upon the outer side of the element 9 and extends through a preferably square aperture 12 arranged diagonally Within a suitable plate 14 so that the sides of said aperture 12 will be inclined with respect to the housing l, the purpose of which-will vhereinafter be more fully set forth.

A plurality of dry cells or batteries 16 are stored within the lower compartment 4 and are electrically connected in any suitable manner, not shown, to the terminals 6 so that when the circuit is closed electricalVv energy within the said batteries will flow through said terminals 6.

Suitable covers are slidably mounted upon the top and bottom of the housing 1 in order to close said compartments, the upper cover l17 being provided with an aperture 18 ar- 9 ranged directly opposite the lighting element 9 withint-he upper compartment 3.

In operation, when the device or lighter is placed in a normal or horizontal position upon a table or other suitable supporting surface, as disclosed in plan viewin Fig. 1 of the drawing, the attract-ion of gravity will move the contact 11 on the heavier end of the conductor 8 having the lighting element 9 attached thereto, into the recess formed by the inclined edges of the aperture 12 in the plate 14 which is purposely positioned to prevent engagement of the contact 11 with the adj acent terminal 6 or the internal surfaces of the slot 7 therein, so that the circuit will be broken and the lighting element will at all times, vwhile the housing 1 or lighter is in a horizontal position, be cle-energized,

When it is desired to heat the lighting element for any purpose the device is raised fand moved to a vertical position as disclosed in Fig. 3 of the drawing. In this position the attraction of gravity will cause the heavier lighting element mounted upon -the iexible conductor 8 to move into contact with one of the inner surfaces of the slot 7 ofthe adjacent terminal 6 and thereby connect the said element 9 with the source of electrical energy through the said terminals 6 and the lighting element will thereby become heated and ready foruse.

The cover 17 for the upper compartment 3 is provided with the aperture 18 in order to provide access to the element. If the device should be turned upside down, or face down upon the table, the opposite angle or recess of the aperture 12 of the plate 14 will operate to prevent engagement of the contact 11 with the sides of the terminal 6 and thereby prevent accidental conagration.

Itis 'obvious that when the device or the housing l is in a horizontal position, leither upright or up-side-down, that contact or engagement with the adjacent terminal will be prevented by the inclined sides of the aperture 12 of the plate 14, but the device may be placed in numerous positions where the attraction of gravity will operate to move the contact 11 into engagement with the ad# jacent terminal 6 and thereby connect the lighter element with a source of electrical energy without the manual operation oi' switchesv or other devices.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new vand desire to secure by Letters Patent isz- 1. A lighter comprising a housing; a pair vof slotted terminals mounted within the housing; a source of electrical energy mounted within the housing and connected to the terminals; a flexible conductor mounted within the slot of one terminal Vand extending toward the opposite terminal; a lighting element mounted upon the free end of said conductor and adjacent said opposite terminal, said element having a contact extending into the vslot of said opposite terminal;

'and .a' platel mounted adjacent 'said lighting yelement and having an aperture rprovided Wlth inclined edges surrounding the contact 'and arranged 'to prevent engagement of the lighting element may be connected to the source of electrical energy and thereby energized.

2. A lighter comprising a housing; a pair of terminals mounted within said housing; a source of electrical energy connected to said terminals; `a lighting element flexibly connected to one terminal and extending to a point adjacent the other .terminal whereby said element may be moved by gravity to contact said. second terminal when said housing is in one position whereby said element may be heated from the electrical energy; and means for preventing contact of said element with said second contact when said housing is in another osition.

3. A lighter coniprislng a housing; a pair oir' terminals mounted within said housing; a source of electrical energy contained within said housing and connected to said terminals; a lighting element flexibly connected to one terminal and extending to a point ada'cent the other terminal whereby said element may be moved by gravity to contact with said second terminal to energize said element, when the housing is in one position; and an insulated plate mounted within said housing for preventing movement of said element to contact with said second terminal when said housing is placed in another posi- HENRY JOHN BEECROFT. 

